Kaumakaiwa 
& Kulaiwi – Native Lands

contemporary music & hula of indigenous Hawai‘i

“[Kaumakaiwa]… vaulted through various registers and timbres, from bass to witchy contralto rasp to sweet soprano (“skinny girl” voice, [she] said), a traditionalist tour de force.” –NY Times

Kulāiwi –  Hawai‘i’s Group of the Year & Hawaiian Group of the Year

A riveting performer, Kaumakaiwa creates some of the most original work to emerge in contemporary Hawaiian music, drawing from ancestral memory and hula practice as chant transforms to melody. Kaumakaiwa seamlessly melds Hawaiian culture and modern sensibilities in deeply powerful music. A modern Hawaiian, she is a vibrant keeper of culture, and at the same time, an authentic innovator. 

 Kaumakaiwa’s long-time guitarist Shawn Pimental, an award-winning musician in his own right, joined with two of Hawai‘i’s leading music performers — Lehua Kalima (of Na Leo) and Kawika Kahiapo, and hula practitioner Pono Fernandez – to form Kulāiwi, creating music drawn from their Native Hawaiian roots. With soaring vocals, island harmonies and a folk vibe, accompanied by an easy-going charm, Kulāiwi [“land of my ancestors”] is committed to the stories of Hawai’i revealed through songs embedded with Hawaiian values, perspectives, and ways of being in the world. Their debut CD release Native Lands earned them 4 Nā Hōkū wins (Hawai‘i’s music awards), including top honors as Group of the Year.

Together, Kaumakaiwa and Kulāiwi share prodigious talents as performers, songwriters and composers, engaging indigenous thought to address today’s issues through music, chant, and sharing of spirit. Their original songs are inspired by diverse musical styles and a passionate commitment to Hawai‘i. They reflect a growing population of Native Hawaiian speakers, whose pride in their roots provides strength and grounding, and empowers their responsibility as protectors of land and culture.